Birmingham Spinal Cord Injury Attorney

Victims who suffer spinal cord injuries can have long and difficult recoveries. With money from a court settlement, victims have a better chance of receiving the medical care they need. Many spinal cord injuries result in permanent disability. In these cases, spouses and family members may receive compensation for having to provide permanent care for their injured loved one.

If you or a loved one have suffered a spinal cord injury as a result of being involved in an accident caused by the negligence of someone else in Alabama, contact a Birmingham spinal cord injury lawyer at The Mitchell Law Firm, LLC for a free initial legal consultation.

Birmingham Spinal Cord Injuries from Car Accidents

Because of the immense gravitational forces imposed on the body and spine, most car accidents lead to some type of spinal cord injury. Even minor spinal cord injuries such as a slipped disc can cause intense pain and long-term debilitation. Rear-end collisions often lead to minor spine injuries, while more high-velocity crashes can result in acute spinal cord injury.

Common Spinal Cord Injuries in Birmingham

Car accidents, slips and falls, truck accidents, diving accidents, bicycle accidents, sports-related injury, motorcycle accidents, workplace accidents, boating accidents, and acts of violence can all potentially cause an acute spinal cord injury. Acute spinal cord injury comes in many different forms, affecting victims with different levels of damage. Areas of the spine include:

• Cervical spinal cord: This is the neck portion of the spine, which connects to the brain.
• Thoracic spinal cord: This is the middle of the spinal cord.
• Lumbar spinal cord: This is the lower region of the spin, where the spinal cord begins to bend.
• Sacral spine: This is the lower, triangular region of the spine leading to the coccyx.

Injuries sustained in the cervical spinal cord are usually the most severe, since they often result in paralysis. Cervical spinal cord injuries damage the connection between your brain and the rest of your body, leading to quadriplegia – loss of movement in all limbs. These injuries produce bladder and bowel malfunctions as well as respiratory difficulties and loss of motor function.

Thoracic spinal cord injuries often result in paraplegia – loss of movement in the lower half of the body. The higher up on the thoracic spine the injury is, the more severe the injury will be. Paraplegia often results in loss of bowel and bladder control. Injuries below the lumbar spine generally don’t result in paralysis but still lead to nerve damage, reduced functionality, and numbness and tingling in limbs.

Spinal cord injuries of all types and degrees are painful. If you’ve sustained a spinal cord injury, it will most likely be immediately apparent. In more minor cases, you may feel pain a few days or weeks after the accident, but the pain will not go away on its own. Often, victims of spinal cord injuries never fully recover. More severe spinal cord injuries result in permanent disability, leading to future medical costs, lost earning capacity, and immeasurable physical and mental anguish. Contact an experienced Birmingham spinal cord injury attorney in Alabama if you have suffered a spinal cord injury.

Birmingham Hospitals with a Spinal Cord Injury Specialists

*Mitchell Law Firm does not endorse or formally recommend any of the organizations listed above

Legal Options for Birmingham Spinal Cord Injury Victims

If the court finds the defendant guilty of negligence, you can receive financial compensation for economic damages such as medical bills, including surgeries, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and equipment such as wheelchairs. You can also recover non-economic compensatory damages such as mental anguish, loss of consortium, and pain and suffering.

The jury will determine the value of your injury based on your medical records, the severity of the injury, the circumstances leading up the accident, how the injury has affected you, and how long it will affect your life. Working with an experienced personal injury lawyer can greatly strengthen your case and lead to a fair compensation.

When you’re ready to file a claim against a negligent person for causing your spinal cord injury, contact The Mitchell Law Firm, LLC, for an in-depth discussion about your case. Our compassionate Birmingham, AL spinal cord injury lawyers will listen to your case in detail and give you professional advice for moving forward. We’ll try to reach a settlement without going to court, but are always prepared to take a case to trial.